Thomas County cat. [volume] (Colby, Kan.) 1885-1891, 1887-04-28
THE DEVILS LANE.
Scenes Therein Enacted of Import
to Three Lives.

That line had always been bone of
contention between Uncle Joe Allen
and his neighbor on the west. When
the country was new Uncle Joe and
Samson Freeholdcr had bought adja-
cent farms. In some way or another
they had not agreed about the matter
of building the line fence. One want
ed the privilege of building it in his
own way, the other would not adopt
that method; and so it came about
that they decided to build a lane two
rods wide, one-half lying one side the
line and One-half on the other side.
Each man put up fence the whole
length of the line, leaving that long
strip of land that neither could use.
With considerable degree of pro-
priety the lane came to be known as
the devils Lane Similar lanes
may be found in certain parts of this
country at the present time, although
they are fast disappearing. So the
matter stood. The two men let each
other severely alone after the fence was
built. Each kept up the fence on his
side of the DEVILS Lane, never ventur-
ing to do any thing toward making the
land of value to himself or his neigh
bOr
Time brought gray hairs to those
good farmers, and at length Samson
Freebooter was gathered to his fathers.
Then the farm was sold to Dick LAM
son-a wide-awake, thorough going
young fellow who was bound to sue
coed in life. Every body said SO, and
what all in Springfield township agreed
upon. who could question. Uncle Joe
was not blind to the young mans ster-
ling qualities. and so it happened that
when, in the course of time Dick came
to court his handsome daughter Bess,
he was very much inclined to favor his
suit 1t was not long before it came to
be well understood that Dick was "go-
ing with Bess, and that they were 90
ing to '.get married. in few months.
Matters were in this condition when,
once upon time, Dick happened to
get to thinking about that Devils
Lane. Then it stretched the whole
width of his farm, separating him
from his prospective father-in-law.
AT that time the lane was well CAL
culated to be an eyesore to any ener-
getic farmer. 1t had been allowed to
run to waste for many years. No one
had set foot on it since the fences had
been built, save now and then a vent
uresome boy hunting rabbits, for
which it furnished an excellent retreat.
For it had grown up SO thickly with
shrubs, briars and weeds. that it was
the next thing to impossible 70, any
one to force his way through il. In
such a condition it was of no use to the
men who owned the land. 1t looked
to Dick like sheer waste of property.
There was a strip of land one hundred
and sixty rods long and a rod wide that
belonged to him, and piece of the
same size which Uncle Joe ought
to have under cultivation.
Was it not poor policy to allow that
land to run wild in that way? So it
seemed to him. He knew nothing
about the circumstances under which
the lane had been built and possibly
thought It was only by chance
Ill speak TO Uncle Joe about it the
next time I'm over that way" was
Dick resolution; and it was not long
before he had a chance to carry it into
effect. The old gentleman seemed to |
be in very good humor the day Dick |
called on him, and the men sat on the |
fence half an hour chatting about the |
crops and matters in general. Finally |
the young man said:
'.Ry the way. Uncle Joe, what do